“From the Diamond” Round 20
State league Division One | 28Th February
RAMS SEAL THE DEAL
Despite the threat of extreme weather, Henley & Grange survived the conditions and sealed the deal to finish Division 1 minor premiers with a 7–0 victory over Kensington at West Lakes.
While the thunderstorms never fully arrived, light rain persisted throughout the day. The Rams, however, remained composed to cement pole position heading into finals.
Henley set up the win early with two runs in the bottom of the first after hits to Jack Partington, Liam Bull and Koki Yonezawa. After a scoreless stretch through to the sixth, the Rams created breathing room with two more runs courtesy of three walks, an error and Jose Paula’s single.
Partington added an RBI in the seventh, and three walks, Bull’s RBI single and Phil Acosta’s sacrifice fly wrapped up the scoring in the eighth.
Wilson Lee delivered six strong innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 10. Jordy Grose closed the game with three innings, giving up one hit and striking out three. All three of Kensington’s hits came from Sean Maple.
Finals Secured and Ladder Locked In
Port Adelaide secured its finals berth with a 10–3 come-from-behind win over Goodwood at Mortlock Park in a must-win contest. After trailing 3–0 early, the Magpies broke through in the fifth inning with four runs to take control before a five-run ninth inning sealed the result. Joe Cedano claimed the win with six innings of work, while Sammy Steigert closed it out.
Woodville kept its finals hopes alive with a 6–1 win over East Torrens but ultimately fell one point short of Port Adelaide. Jose Pimentel pitched eight innings for the Senators, who capitalised on errors to build their advantage.
Glenelg finished its season on a high with a 10–6 victory over Adelaide. A six-run burst across the sixth and seventh innings, highlighted by Dylan Bentley’s three-run home run, proved decisive. Jayden Eldridge worked 6.2 innings for the win.
Southern Districts claimed second spot with a dominant 9–0 win over Gawler Rangers. Riley Moore starred with two home runs, including a grand slam, while Gary Grosjean delivered a one-hitter across six innings with 10 strikeouts.
West Torrens powered past Northern Districts 12–2, riding multiple home runs including two from Jasper Clark and a three-run blast from Mason Clavell.
With the minor round complete, Henley & Grange finish atop the ladder on 50 premiership points, followed closely by Southern Districts and Adelaide, setting the stage for an exciting finals series.
WOMEN’S LEAGUE DIVISION 1 | 1ST March
Southern Districts defeated Sturt 6–3 in a rain-shortened contest. Georgia Davis made her return to the mound for the Saints for the first time in 11 months, striking out five across two innings. For the Hawks, Wendy Sharp continued her strong form, conceding just three runs in three innings of work. All scoring came in the third inning before wet conditions forced an early finish.
Glenelg and Adelaide were unable to complete their match, with persistent rain making conditions unsafe after just one completed inning.
Woodville wrapped up a perfect minor round with a commanding 13–0 win over Kensington. The Warriors’ 239-run differential across 20 games highlights their dominance this season. Dakota Ding drove in four runs, while Alyssa Lasscock added two doubles. Ella Tok shouldered the workload for the Cardinals, recording her fifth consecutive outing of more than 90 pitches.
State League Article by: Robert Laidlaw
Photos courtesy of Paul Taeuber